Ice-creeper for horses.



PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

C. W. BOLTON.

ICE GREEPER FOR HORSES.

JNVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

APPLICATION IILBI) NOV. 27, 1903.

WITNESSES: 1'

H0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented July 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

lCE-CREEPER FOR HOFLSESn SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 764,340, dated July 5, 1904:.

Application filed November 27, 1903. Serial No. 182,772. (No model.)

To ctb whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GHARLns W. BoL'roN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fox Chase, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inIce-Creepers for Horses, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide improvedice-creepers so adapted for attachment to the shed feet of horses thatfastening mediums such as nails, screws, clamps, &c.are eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to dispense with creepers, socalled-as, for instance, steel or other spurs.

A still further object of the invention is to provide ice-creepers ofsandal-like form and constructed of material calculated to adhere moreor less to icy surfaces, thereby preventing to a great degree slipping.

To these and other ends hereinafter setforth the invention comprises theimprovements to be presently described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features, and scope of the invention will bemore fully understood from the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and inWhich- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an icecreeper embodyingthe invention and shown in-application to the shed foot of a horse. Fig.2 is an inverted plan view of the ice-creeper. Fig.3 is-a sectional viewof the same, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of said creeper.

In the drawings the ice-creeper is shown as being in form somewhat likea sandal, whose body portion is constructed of rubber or rubbersubstitutes. As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the tread 7) is formedintegral with the base a and is of the configuration of a horseshoe andforms asuction-chamber c. Formed integral with the base there may alsobe a slightlyelevated portion or ridge d, adapted to form a pad for thefrog of the hoof. As shown, the upper portion of the base (0 forms anannular rim 6 for the reception of the horseshoe. At or near the frontof the base there may be vulcanized to the same metallic strip f, towhich in turn may be riveted or otherwise secured thereto a strap, asSuitably connected with the base and at the rear thereof is a member it,provided with an opening for the reception of a strap @I. In thedrawings the part (Z extends beyond the base for the attachment of themember it. This strap '11 engages with the strap 7 and is arranged topass around the hoof of the" horse and may be fastened in any suitablemanneras, for instance, by the means shown in the drawings.

In using the ice-creeper, by reason of the ad hesive qualitiescharacteristic of rubber and, further, by virtue of the vacuum orsuction chamber 0, slipping upon icy surfaces is re duced to a minimum.Aside from this the cost of manufacture is slight, and the mode ofattaching to and detaching from the hoof is exceedingly rapid and doesnot require the services of a mechanic. Further, there is absolutelynothing to be sharpened, and hence the creeper is capable of immediateuse at all times.

The beveled part 7' acts to prevent the caking of snow in thevacuum-chamber c.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains that modilications may be made in detail without dcpartingfrom the spirit thereof. Hence the invention is not limited to theprecise construction and arrangement of parts hereinabove set forth, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings; but,

Having thus described the nature and objects of the invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

An ice-creeper adapted to be applied to and cover the tread of the shodfoot of a horse, the body portion of said creeper consisting of a singlepiece of rubber comprising a base, the upper part of which forms anannular rim for the accommodation of the shoe, a flat portion extendingabove said rim and serving as a pad for the frog of the hoof, a tread ofthe configuration of a horseshoe depending from said base and forming asuctionchamber, and means at the front and rear of said creeper forguiding a securing-strap, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

Time. G. BRINTON, GEORGE W. BEoIrrnL.

